New Focal Chora 806 on and off-axis measurements

[napilopez]

@Ilkless @thewas_

I think those are both good candidates, but yeah my money is primarily on the inverted dome tweeter.

I've asked Focal about why they don't use waveguides(or at least larger ones) before and their answer was basically that the inverted dome gives them the directivity control they want without leading to narrower dispersion (don't quote me on that, but it's the basic premise). So as apparent from the measurements, they seem to prioritize wide horizontal directivity over some other details like vertical directivity or perfectly smooth on axis.

I'm not sure diffraction has too much to do with it on the higher end models, as the cabinets are quite radiused. and on the lower end models you'll note the Chora and Aria actually have very shallow waveguides, probably also to minimize edge diffeqction rather than for directivity controls(esp on the chora with its super sharp edges).

They're some of the relatively few speakers with such wide directivity out to 9-10kHz which definitely appeals to my sensibilities, but as with everything it comes with some compromises

 

[Ilkless]

@Ilkless @thewas_

I think those are both good candidates, but yeah my money is primarily on the inverted dome tweeter.

I've asked Focal about why they don't use waveguides(or at least larger ones) before and their answer was basically that the inverted dome gives them the directivity control they want without leading to narrower dispersion (don't quote me on that, but it's the basic premise). So as apparent from the measurements, they seem to prioritize wide horizontal directivity over some other details like vertical directivity or perfectly smooth on axis.

I'm not sure diffraction has too much to do with it on the higher end models, as the cabinets are quite radiused. and on the lower end models you'll note the Chora and Aria actually have very shallow waveguides, probably also to minimize edge diffeqction rather than for directivity controls(esp on the chord with its super sharp edges).

They're some of the relatively few speakers with such wide directivity out to 9-10kHz which definitely appeals to my sensibilities, but as with everything it comes with some compromises

Ya, intuitively, I can see how it'd be so difficult to keep it from straying to non-pistonic behaviour vs a dome, and when it does stray, there are little cancellations between different parts of the inverted dome radiating differently.

 

[Voo]

the chora, aria, and sopra dont sound similar at all...so what do these measurements actually say?

 

[napilopez]

the chora, aria, and sopra dont sound similar at all...so what do these measurements actually say?

I heartily disagree. In my opinion, Focal speakers have some of the more consistent 'brand sounds' I've heard. To me that's relatively uncolored, but a bit on the bright side of the spectrum, with good dynamics. Maybe they don't seem similar in direct comparisons; two speaker comparisons, especially sighted, are known to exaggerate differences. Compare a chora, Kanta, and a speaker from B&W or KEF and I'd bet the Focals would sound most similar to one another.

 

[NoMoFoNo]

I've got a pair of 726 floorstanders that have served me well. I've wondered how well they might measure and I appreciate the OP's measurements and this thread. I also really appreciate Amir's efforts to bring testing and objectivity to speakers.

 

[napilopez]

I've got a pair of 726 floorstanders that have served me well. I've wondered how well they might measure and I appreciate the OP's measurements and this thread. I also really appreciate Amir's efforts to bring testing and objectivity to speakers.

Happy to help!

I've been messing around with trying to see if I can make some rough pseudo-spins out of my older speaker measurements, when I was only doing front measurements at 15 degree intervals and only front hemisphere stuff. I figured I could try and "cheat" it a bit since most front-firing speakers are basically the same after 90 degrees horizontal and rear measurements contribute little to the early reflections curve/ERDI. After some experimentation, this is what I get for the Chora:

Which I think matches my listening impressions pretty well. Mostly neutral but a touch bright. because of how PIR tilts up a tad from 2K to 10K. The rise above 10K isn't pretty but I suspect its much more offensive to the eye than to the ear.

Interesting thing is that the ERDI curves doesn't look too wide, but the rise around 2K is largely because of the lobing from vertical reflections. This makes me wonder if it might not be more useful for the ERDI curve to only consist of horizontal measurements; normally when we look at directivity, it's for impressions of the soundstage, and that's dominated by horizontal stuff. Just a thought; might just be splitting hairs.

PIR looks pretty good though. Curiously, matches the KEF R3 quite closely, but a teensy bit brighter, which matches my recollection:

 

[OP1M.DR3M]

the chora, aria, and sopra dont sound similar at all...so what do these measurements actually say?

How would you say Chora 806 differ in sound compared to Aria 906? I'm strongly considering both of them.

 

[Voo]

I never compared bookshelves. I did compare towers but nothing serious with choras. I was a/b ing the chora towers with revel f35. similar.

 

[OP1M.DR3M]

@napilopez From the Chora manual... Am I on point in interpreting this as 0-7.5 degrees off axis vertically is acceptable by them?

 

[napilopez]

@napilopez From the Chora manual... Am I on point in interpreting this as 0-7.5 degrees off axis vertically is acceptable by them?View attachment 69672

Honestly, I'm not really sure what they're saying. Depends on how tilted the stand is. But given the deviations show here:

I'd definitely try to stay within +/-5 degrees vertical.

 

[OP1M.DR3M]

Honestly, I'm not really sure what they're saying. Depends on how tilted the stand is. But given the deviations show here:

View attachment 69712

I'd definitely try to stay within +/-5 degrees vertical.

Thanks, appreciate the measurements and dug the review

 

[hawk01]

hmm, i have been taking a close look at the focal aria 906 on the merits of its ASR credentials. a pair of those on my side of the pond is at US$1488 discounted straight cash payment from the local focal dealer.

the newer chora 806 is really worth a strong second look. it will cost US$960 net! there is a significant difference worth US$528 between the two which by itself is almost worth another elac dbr62!

i see the very decent measurements posted above and how it comes close to the aria 906. given the price difference i think the chora 806 may be looming in the very near future...

 

[tuga]

Basically, they are impressively flat within the listening window and seem to have excellent horizontal dispersion, but finicky vertical dispersion may affect timbre and suggests come care needs to be taken with vertical positioning (something of a trend I've noticed with other Focal models).

There's something going on at around 1.5kHz (cone breakup?).
Can you produce a waterfall?

Or maybe FR plots of the individual drivers?

 

[doofusWog]

Hello, I'm new to the forum.

Sonically, how do these compare to the Polk R200's? I was very impressed by the Polk R200's which I heard at an audio show recently and was about to pull the trigger. However, the Focal Chora 906's are currently on sale for CAD $700 which are a bit cheaper than the R200's. I read Napilopez's review on the R200's and saw he mentions the Focals as comparable, which has put me in a dilemma:

Review with measurements: Polk's Reserve R200 is budget hi-fi greatness

Polk Audio's Reserve R200 is not only one of the best speakers under $1000, our speaker measurements show it competes against speakers 2-3x its price.

thenextweb.com

On a youtube comment Mark Winston also suggested that the Focal Chora series are in fact superior to the R200's in terms of clarity and detail retrieval. I know that YouTube sound demo's are no where near accurate but based on close mic'd recording these seem to be livelier for sure, but a tad bit shoutier in the upper-mids (female vocals), which may not be a good thing (I'm very sensitive to even a very slight pronouncement in this region). However, the measurements show nothing to corroborate any such upper-mid emphasis, so I am a bit confused. I would appreciate if anyone who has experience with both can explain the sonic characteristics of both. Coming from a pair of Neumann KH80 and Genelec 8010 monitors, the Polk R200's are the only passive speakers in recent times under $1000 that have truly wowed me for their immaculate tonal balance, so I am genuinely intrigued if something surpasses them at a lower price point.

 

[napilopez]

Hello, I'm new to the forum.

Sonically, how do these compare to the Polk R200's? I was very impressed by the Polk R200's which I heard at an audio show recently and was about to pull the trigger. However, the Focal Chora 906's are currently on sale for CAD $700 which are a bit cheaper than the R200's. I read Napilopez's review on the R200's and saw he mentions the Focals as comparable, which has put me in a dilemma:

Review with measurements: Polk's Reserve R200 is budget hi-fi greatness

Polk Audio's Reserve R200 is not only one of the best speakers under $1000, our speaker measurements show it competes against speakers 2-3x its price.

thenextweb.com

On a youtube comment Mark Winston also suggested that the Focal Chora series are in fact superior to the R200's in terms of clarity and detail retrieval. I know that YouTube sound demo's are no where near accurate but based on close mic'd recording these seem to be livelier for sure, but a tad bit shoutier in the upper-mids (female vocals), which may not be a good thing (I'm very sensitive to even a very slight pronouncement in this region). However, the measurements show nothing to corroborate any such upper-mid emphasis, so I am a bit confused. I would appreciate if anyone who has experience with both can explain the sonic characteristics of both. Coming from a pair of Neumann KH80 and Genelec 8010 monitors, the Polk R200's are the only passive speakers in recent times under $1000 that have truly wowed me for their immaculate tonal balance, so I am genuinely intrigued if something surpasses them at a lower price point.

Better the devil you know...

I think they're close enough that's it's likely to be a pure matter of preference personal preference.

While I strongly caution against YouTube sound demos as directivity can significantly alter impressions, from my recollection/notes the Focals seemed slightly less neutral than the R200, but I preferred their spatial presentation.

It's also important to be our frequency range descriptions are the same. While most of the the upper mids, which I define as 2-4khz-ish do not seem to be particularly emphasized on the Chora, there is a clear emphasis from roughly 4-8khz due to directivity characteristics. The R200 have a similar bump, but it's possibly less noticeable due to an on-axis dip in the same region.

Anyway, you've already heard the R200 and liked them. Seems to me like the smarter choice. Whatever sonic differences may exist, I do not believe they are dramatic beyond individual preferences.

 

[subframe]

for owners of the 806 stands: do they seem like it would be possible to paint them a different color?

 

[TheBatsEar]

for owners of the 806 stands: do they seem like it would be possible to paint them a different color?

I would just get a different stand. The manufacturers stands usually are overpriced by a good amount.

New, 305€ the pair, inclusive shipping. I like them so far
First notes:

• Bass is not as deep as the Mission LX-3 MKII or ATC SCM19v2
• The cabinet is very high and feels light because of it. The weight is a bit below 8kg.
• The woofer measures 145mm from outer line of the surround to the other side. The manufacturer says 165mm. What gives? The ATC below are sold with a 150mm woofer.
• Perfect machining and manufacturing.
• Very nice stereo imaging, feels wider than the ATCs, but they are far higher, so maybe i should put the ATC on top and have a listen.